ANOTHER BORREGO SPRINGS SUNSET SHAPING UP
The pitter patter sound on our roof this morning told me it was probably going to be an inside day. The rain wasn't coming down hard but it was steady & will no doubt shorten the week-end for the week-enders out here in the desert.
DESERT LILY AFTER THE RAIN
THE WEEK ENDERS WERE PACKING IT IN TODAY
When I let Max out early this morning I could see the glow from San Diego's lights backlighting the mountains to our southwest & to our west & northwest the Santa Rosa mountains were rimmed with the ambient light from the Riverside & Los Angeles areas. A neighboring RVer had just come back from the Riverside area & said, "don't ever go over to the other side of those mountains, it's traffic & people chaos over there!!" Not to worry I said, We'll be staying right here on the quiet side of the mountains for sure.
THAT'S US DEAD CENTER.....HIGHWAY S22 IS IN THE BACKGROUND & ROCKHOUSE ROAD RUNS THROUGH THE FOREGROUND
YES, WE DO LIKE OUR SPACE:)) (click to enlarge)
Noticed a comment in our Shout Box from Darrell asking a question about etiquette regarding boondocking. I don't think there is a single answer here about how near to camp to someone because situations vary. However, common sense & respect are two key factors & I can only attempt to answer this from our point of view.
AN EXAMPLE OF RIGS WELL SPACED
When we pull into a boondocking area the first thing we look for is who else is there. If nobody is there we'll try to pick a spot with a view on the area's perimeter. By parking on the edge of an area with our side door facing away we lessen the chances of someone pulling into 'our front yard' & blocking our view. If another boondocker is in the area we'll first try to find a spot where there is not a line of sight between us. That helps with our dogs not seeing the other folks & going over there & bugging them. As a rule of thumb we prefer to be out of earshot of another rig. Both Kelly & I have zero tolerance for people noise like loud cell phone talking, loud stereos, rumbling ATV's or dirt bikes, & the sounds of party goers. I've included photos today showing some typical RV boondocking etiquette out here in the desert east of Borrego Springs, California.
AN EXAMPLE OF CROWDING. FIFTH WHEEL ON LEFT HAS BEEN HERE 4 DAYS & THE MOTORHOME ON THE RIGHT CAME IN YESTERDAY & PARKED CLOSE TO THEM. HUNDREDS UPON HUNDREDS OF ACRES HERE SO WHY THE NEED TO CROWD SOMEBODY!!
LOTS OF ROOM HERE
For us, one of the main reasons for boondocking is the simple peace & quiet we prefer, not to mention the huge money savings when you don't have to pay those big Park fees every night. We keep to ourselves & are very sensitive & respectful of any neighbors. We prefer to look out the RV window & not see any RV's, people, man made structures or whatever. I am the same way at home but we live in a community with nearby neighbors. My only defense against that over the last number of years has been to plant & grow a jungle around our place but it's not the best solution. I probably won't be content until we land ourselves a quiet little place in the country somewhere, someday. A little place with a long driveway in from the road & not a neighbor in sight. If that ever happens I will know then for sure that I have died & gone to heaven. (wherever or whatever you perceive that to be)
THE SMALL CLASS C AT BOTTOM RIGHT IS OUR CLOSEST NEIGHBOR. THANKYOU FOR BEING RESPECTFUL SIR
So, Darrell, I guess in my long round about usual blabbering way of answering a question I will just sum it up by saying, if I can hear my RV neighbor's voice....he's about a mile too close!! If you go to the RV NET FORUM & find yourself the 'Boondocker's' group, just post your question in there & you will get all kinds of varying answers for sure. By the way, that RV Net Forum is 'THE' place to go for all RV folks with all your RV questions. Lots of fellow RV'ers there ready & willing to help you on a multitude of topics.
A CLUSTER OF RIGS WELL SPACED OUT
A few weeks ago I grumbled about a few small things I didn't like about our new Toshiba Satellite A505 computer so this morning I just want to mention a few things that I really like about. The bigger brighter screen is way better outside than our old Toshiba. I've been able to tweak a little better sound out of it & I really like the long foot underneath running across nearly the whole length of the computer. This foot tilts the screen slightly towards the user plus allows air flow underneath making the computer run cooler. That foot also acts as a helping hand grip if your moving or carrying your computer around. The type pad also seems smoother than our older machine.
I just uploaded all the photos from my GHOST MOUNTAIN hike this past Wednesday & they can be found here at our PICASA WEB ALBUM site.
GROANER'S CORNER:(( Some Definitions
Boy: Noise with dust on it.
Chickens: The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.
Dust: Mud with the juice squeezed out.
Mosquito: An insect that makes you like flies better.
Raisin: A grape with a sunburn.
Chemicals: Noxious substances from which modern foods are made.
BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/
OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.
Al, you laid out your thoughts, feelings and boondocking specifications perfectly. Probably those that live your type of RV lifestyle on a regular basis as you and Kelly have similar thoughts. If not...why else go out to the boonies to "dock"? There will always be those few rude boondockers, however, that just don't "get it".
ReplyDeleteHope you days are lovely in your little corner of paradise!
Ohhh LOVE the new opening photo on your page!
ReplyDeleteKaren and Steve
(Blog) http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com/
Al, is that "long foot" your battery? One of our new Toshibas has a 12 cell battery - we get 6 or more hours of battery life out of it. What I *don't* like about it is the "long foot"!
ReplyDeleteI like to work with the laptop on my lap, and the battery bump makes that uncomfortable, compared to the flat bottom of the Toshiba with the standard 6 cell battery. I do like the slope when the computer is on the tabletop, though - so now I put the laptop on a tray when using it on my lap.
Love you photos, as always.
Nice pics and explanation of the etiquette of boondocking, Al. It sort of reminds me of parking in a Safeway lot all by myself with acres of empty spots all around and some joker has to come and park right next to me! What's with these guys anyway? The sun is shining on our side of the mountain so I guess you are looking at a great day too - sure hope so!
ReplyDeleteWhen at my camphost site at Lassen NP I couldn't believe how folks would take the campsite right next to me, with a whole campground to choose from. The site next door wasn't even a good one. I think some people feel more secure when close to others, but it sure is annoying.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about RV Net forum.
Heh heh, we're famous again Al! Thanks for pointing our neighbor out. He was actually closer than that yesterday when he first got here. He parked next to us with his door facing ours! I think he saw the daggers I was throwing and moved to what he thought was an acceptable space away. I still don't get why he didn't go farther down the road.
ReplyDeleteReally appreciate your discussion about boondocking etiquitte, I hope more newbies out there get a clue. I never understood why anyone would drive hundreds of miles into the wilderness only to park next to someone. It's happened to us even when backpacking in remote mountains. Someone said once that people need a security blanket and that's why they do it. Well, some people maybe, but definitely not us.
Meanwhile, I just want to recommend one more place to discuss boondocking, and that's at NuRVers.com. Fair warning it's an RVers group dedicated to a younger non-retired crowd, and those who are just young at heart, but it's a great growing community of kids, many of whom are living the fulltiming dream now.
Love your new header with Max. Haven't been on in awhile. With all the rain we are having, we should have a beautiful spring. Hope all is well.
ReplyDelete